Motor-controlling mechanism for self-propelled vehicles.



A. H. DAEHLER.

MOTOR GONTBOLLING MEGHANISM FoR'sBLF PnoPBLLED VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1907.

1,020,889. -Patented Mar.19,1912..

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Mt .@Zg'flnllmlllilllllllll|||l|||IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT ,Dlt/6177071' ALFRED H. DAEHLER, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MoronfcoNTRoLLrNG MEcH'ANrsM ron sELr-rnoPnLLEn VEHICLES.

Another object is to provide a device in` which the control of the throttle land spark is facilitated, and the necessary employment of two orV more levers for separately operating the throttle and timing the spark, isl

dispensed with.

A further object of my invention is to eliminate the supporting or stationary tube usually employed to prevent rotation of the spark and throttle regulating levers with the hand wheel; without said tube the7 levers would ordinarily rotate with the hand wheel.

This invention consists of such further features, details of construction and combination of parts as will be described in connection with thev accompanying drawing and then be more specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is. a fragmentary sectional elevation of a steering wheel and tube of an automobile, showing the invention as applied. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary planview partly in section, on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, of the steering wheel, showing the controlling lever for operating the spark and throttle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective of the disjoined lower portion of the controlling mechanism, showing the construction thereof.

Referring more inv detail to the drawing, 1 designates an automobile steering wheel secured onto the end of a hollow rod 2 to which the steering mechanism for the wheels of the vehicle is attached.

3 is a two part housing for the worm 4 provided on the rod and the sector 5 which is in constant mesh with said worm 4, and through which movement is imparted to the steering arm 6, made integral with the sector 5. This housing 3 has bolted to the Specification of Letters Patent. Application ined August so, 1907. serial No. 390,805.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

under side thereof a plate 7 which in conjunction with the housing forms a rest for the steering and controlling mechanism. hollov boss 8 is integrally united with said plate 7 and is cut away at the lower portion thereof to accommodate a sleeve 9 onto which is rigidly secured a spark regulating lever 10. A collar '11 is secured on said boss by a lset screw 12, to hold said sleeve in place. The sleeve '9 'is provided with a. diagonal slot 13. A lug 14 provided on the lower end of a hollow tube 15 which extends through the bore of the hollow rod 2, is arranged to project into the vertical slot 8', to prevent rotation of the tube 15, and an extension14 of said lug engages the diagonal slot 13 in said sleeve and by a vertically reciprocating movement thereof, to impart a rotary motion to said sleeve 9, thereby to control the spark-regulating lever 10 of the engine. Contiguous with said boss 8 and below said collar 11, is a' recessed portion 16, provided with an orifice 17 for the reception of the reduced terminus 18 of the stem 19, which extends through the bore of the hollow tube15. The bottom of this recessed portion 16 forms a bearing surface for the shoulder 20 provided on the end of the stem 19.

21v is a controlling lever ixedly attached to the stem 19 for Controlling the throttle.

The hollow tube 15 extending through the hollow rod 2 has secured to it a short sleeve 22, terminating at a point slightly above the level of the steering wheel 1 in a sphere '23, half of which is integral with the sleeve 22 and the other half of which is formed bya cap 24 provided with Aa hemispherical concavity. The cap 24 is secured to the sleeve 22 by bolts and nuts orvlset screws 25 which extend through the lips 26 made integral with the cap 24 and the sleeve 22.

27 designates grooved, guide-ways provided in the sections of the sphere 23, said guide-ways being arranged to accommodate an apertured ball 28, through which a governing arm 29 extends. The ball -28 revolves and travels in the circular grooves, as the arm 29 is given a radial motion by the operator of the machine. Said arm has integral therewith a disk provided with a ratchet face 30 which is arranged to be always held in engagement with a similar ratchet face 31 provided on the stem 19, by a helical spring 32 coiled about the shank of the stud 33 which pivotally secures the stem and the governing arm together. A collar 34 is fixed on the end of the stud 33 to prevent the displacement of the spring.

35 is a nut screwed on to the threaded end of the stud and 36 is a lock nut also screwed on the stud. The object of this provision is to secure the operating lever in any position of vertical adjustment, the helical spring tending to normally hold the ratchet faces in mutual engagement, and to permit of a most limited movement of the lever, governable solely by the distance intermediate the ratchet teeth. Thus the advance or retarding of the spark is constantly under the the hollow tube without disturbing the de termined positionvof the throttle controlling lever, and likewise the latter is controllable by` a circular movement of the governing arm29 without moving or dislocating the spark timing lever l0 from any predetermined position. k

The term compensating means has reference to the ball 28 which is located in the grooves, and through which the governing .arm extends, whereby the relative variation of the travel of the governing arm and sphere' is in a measure balanced. The term has been employed for want of a better.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a hollow steering rod and a steering wheel, of a hollow tube extending' through said rod, a lug on said tube, a seat for. said lug to prevent the rotation of said tube, a sleeve provided with a diagonal slot, said lug being arranged to extend in the pathway of said slot, a sparktimer controlling lever on said sleeve, a stem extending through saidtube, a throttle regulating lever on said stem, and means for operating said tube and stem simultaneously or independently of each other.

2. |Illhe combination with a hollow steer-y lng rod, and a steering wheel; a spark tim' ing controlling tube; a stem in said tube; a throttle regulating lever on said stem; a

Agoverning arm pivotally attached to said stem and provided with an aperture'd ball; a spherical body inclosing the pivotal joint of said arm and stem, said body being provided with a circular guide way to accommodate said ball, and means whereby a vertically reciprocating movement of said arm imparts a rotary motion to said spark timing lever, and a circular movement of said arm imparts a rotary motion to said stem and throttle regulating lever.

3. A tube, a lug on said tube to prevent rotation thereof, a motor controlling element, having a slot to accommodate said lug, a motor controlling stem extending through said tube, and a single lever having a reciprocatory movement to rotate said element and an oscillatory movement to oscillate said stem.

4. The combination with a hollow steering rod and a hand wheel secured thereto, of a tube extending through said rod, a lug on said tube, a motor controlling element operatively connected with and rotatable by the vertical movement of said lug, a stem extending through said tube, another motor controlling element connected with said stem, and a lever connected with said stem to oscillate the same, said tube being also operatively connected with said lever to reciprocate said tube.

5. The combination with a hollow steering rod and a steering wheel secured thereto, of a tube' extending through said rod and provided with a lug, means engaging said lug to hold said tube against rotation, a motor controlling connection operatively connected with said lug, a stem extending through said-tube, another motor controlling element connected with said stem, and

a' lever pivotally connected with said stem` to rotate the same, said tube being also operatively connected with said lever and movable in but one direction therewith.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

y ALFRED H. DAEHLER. Witnesses: y p

FRED A. MANSFIELD, LUTE S. ALTER. I 

